During pregnancy, many women experience cravings for foods they would not usually eat. Sudden dietary changes can cause the urine to smell different. Certain foods contain nutrients and vitamins that may cause urine to smell like ammonia.
Pregnancy During pregnancy, a woman's body increases production of a pregnancy hormone called hCG. Elevated levels of hCG cause foul-smelling urine, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. In addition, dehydration during pregnancy causes uric acid to build up, which can create a bad odor in the urine.
Hormonal changes: In the very early stages of pregnancy, increased levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) circulate in the blood, which can cause urine to smell different or more strongly.
Sweet-smelling urine during pregnancy can be a sign of the same conditions that would cause it in a non-pregnant person, like diabetes or a UTI. What does it mean if a baby has sweet-smelling urine? A baby that has sweet-smelling urine could have a genetic condition called maple syrup urine disease.
It can take anywhere from 6 to12 days on average for the embryo to attach and for hCG to be detectable through home tests. This is why after your first negative test it's recommended that you take a second test a week later. But we also know that it's hard to wait!
During pregnancy, dehydration can cause urine to become darker and more concentrated, leading to a yellow or orange color.
Common causes of smelly pee
certain types of food and drink, like asparagus or coffee. not drinking enough fluids (dehydration) some medicines. vitamin B6 supplements.
Certain foods, medications, and vitamins can cause changes in urine smell and color. Asparagus is commonly linked with an ammonia smell, as are large amounts of vitamin B6. Similarly, foods high in protein can increase urine's acidic properties and cause it to have an ammonia smell.
In a urine test, a piece of reactive paper detects the HCG. This test might show a plus sign, double vertical lines or even the word “pregnant.” Different tests will show a positive result in unique ways. Read the directions that come with the test to know what a positive result will look like.
Your sweat glands are in overdrive, producing an increased quantity of a hormone called estradiol, which is the main culprit for underarm odor (2). Because this is so localized, the scent can be quite strong to some women. The good news is you're likely the only one noticing it.
Office-based POC urine hCG tests can detect concentrations ranging from 12 to 50 mIU/L, while some home pregnancy testing kits can detect concentrations as low as 5.5 mIU/L.
Frequent urination
Pregnancy causes an increase in levels of body fluids and greater kidney efficiency. The swelling uterus also presses against the bladder. As a result, most women start experiencing more frequent urination within the first few weeks of becoming pregnant.
While the hormones aren't necessarily changing the odor of your urine itself, they are amping up your ability to smell it, making the ammonia scent more noticeable to your super-sensitive sniffer, according to a study published in Biological Psychology.
You have a urinary tract infection.
In fact, pee that has a strong ammonia smell, or foul or slightly sweet-smelling urine is often the first indication that you have a UTI. Basically, the strange urine odor is the bacteria's fault (because bacteria is what causes UTIs in the first place).
If you detect a hint of ammonia in your urine, it could be a sign of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Trimethylaminuria. In this condition, your body can't break down a compound called trimethylamine. This chemical on its own smells like rotten eggs, rotting fish, or garbage. As trimethylamine collects in your body, your sweat, breath, and urine will smell rotten or fishy.
A person with uncontrolled diabetes may have blood glucose levels that are dangerously high. The body tries to get rid of the extra glucose in the urine, and this can cause a sweet smell. People with sweet-smelling urine due to diabetes may notice other symptoms, including: exhaustion.
Because as strange as it might sound, moms-to-be are known to have an uncanny sense of smell—in fact, it's often one of the first signs of pregnancy. So if you're suddenly gagging at the scent of garlic or ground beef (or can't even stomach a simple stroll through the grocery store), you might just be expecting.
During the first trimester is when most women report super-smelling powers. One theory is that it's actually your body's way of protecting your baby against external threats. The smell of things like alcohol, cigarettes and coffee can become repulsive – all things that can be harmful during pregnancy!
Certainly, the biggest offenders are foods that linger and are already pungent, like onions, garlic, curry, etc. But there are also smells that you just can't stomach for whatever reason including spaghetti sauce, fried foods, syrups that are heavily flavored.
But for a pregnant woman, this change is more prominent and noticeable. The urine color can change from light yellow to dark yellow. It can go to an orange-yellow shade too. Urochrome, also called urobilin, is the component that renders urine its color.
There's no scientific explanation for how salt pregnancy tests work. Fans of the test say that hCG will react with salt, causing the mixture to curdle or change texture. But there's zero evidence backing up that theory, and no scientific reason why salt and hCG would cause this reaction.